Electrophoresis Research Articles

Влияние фосфорсодержащих пестицидов на ферментативную активность и множественные формы кислой фосфатазы живородки речной (Viviparus viviparus L.)

Organophosphate pesticides are used in agriculture and for treating landscape and park areas due to their high efficiency and economic availability, and therefore they are potential toxicants in water bodies. Broad-spectrum systemic herbicide (Glyphosate) and an organophosphorus insecticide (Malathion) have been studied against the freshwater mollusks (Viviparus viviparus L.), widespread in permanent water bodies of the European part of Russia and Siberia. Changes in the activity and composition of multiple forms of acid phosphatase (AcP) were revealed in the hepatopan creas of mollusks under the influence of high doses of glyphosate and malathion in an acute toxicological experiment (96 hours). In both cases, an increase in enzyme activity is observed, but the cholinomimetic malathion is significantly more active than glyphosate, the neurotropic activity of which is unknown. It was shown that the increase in activity in the experimental groups of mollusks is associated with the appearance of new multiple forms of acid phosphatase, which persist throughout the experiment. Multiple form of AсP with low relative electrophoretic mobility revealed as an effect of glyphosate and malathion. In addition, in mollusks exposed to malathion, a multiple form of the enzyme with an average electrophoretic mobility was detected. The composition of multiple forms of acid phosphatase in mollusks of the control group did not change during the exposure. The results indicate the formation of nonspecific adaptations in response to organophosphate pesticides and confirm that acid phosphatase can be an indicator of toxic effects in environmental and biochemical monitoring of freshwater pollution.

Bacillus B2 promotes root growth and enhances phosphorus absorption in apple rootstocks by affecting MhMYB15.

Due to the chelation of phosphorus in the soil, it becomes unavailable for plant growth and development. The mechanisms by which phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria activate immobilized phosphorus to promote the growth and development of woody plants, as well as the intrinsic molecular mechanisms, are not clear. Through the analysis of microbial communities in the rhizosphere 16S V3-V4 and a homologous gene encoding microbial alkaline phosphomonoesterase (phoD) in phosphate-efficient (PE) and phosphate-inefficient apple rootstocks, it was found that PE significantly enriched beneficial rhizobacteria. The best phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria, Bacillus sp. strain 7DB1 (B2), was isolated, purified, and identified from the rhizosphere soil of PE rootstocks. Incubatingwith Bacillus B2 into the rhizosphere of apple rootstocks significantly increased the soluble phosphorus and flavonoid content in the rhizosphere soil. Simultaneously, this process stimulates the root development of the rootstocks and enhances plant phosphorus uptake. After root transcriptome sequencing, candidate transcription factor MhMYB15, responsive to Bacillus B2, was identified through heatmap and co-expression network analysis. Yeast one-hybrid, electrophoretic mobility shift assay, and LUC assay confirmed that MhMYB15 can directly bind to the promoter regions of downstream functional genes, including chalcone synthase MhCHS2 and phosphate transporter MhPHT1;15. Transgenic experiments with MhMYB15 revealed that RNAi-MhMYB15 silenced lines failed to induce an increase in flavonoid content and phosphorus levels in the roots under the treatment of Bacillus B2, and plant growth was slower than the control. In conclusion, MhMYB15 actively responds to Bacillus B2, regulating the accumulation of flavonoids and the uptake of phosphorus, thereby influencing plant growth and development.

Involvement of CgHSFB1 in the regulation of self-incompatibility in 'Shatian' pummelo.

As self-incompatibility is a major issue in pummelo breeding and production, its mechanism in citrus was analyzed to improve breeding efficiency and reduce production costs. Rutaceae belongs to S-RNase type of gametophytic self-incompatibility. While the function of S-RNase/SLF and the mechanism of self-incompatibility have been studied extensively, the transcriptional regulation of S-RNase has been less studied. We performed transcriptome sequencing with the styles of 'Shatian' pummelo on the day of anthesis and 1-5days before anthesis, and found that the transcript level of S-RNase gradually decreased with flower development. By analyzing differentially expressed genes and correlation with the expression trend of S-RNase, we identified a candidate gene, CgHSFB1, and utilized biochemical experiments such as yeast one-hybrid assay, electrophoretic mobility shift assay and dual-luciferase assay, as well as transient transformation of citrus calli and Citrus microcarpa and demonstrated that CgHSFB1 could directly bind to the S1-RNase promoter and repress the expression of S1-RNase, which is involved in the pummelo self-incompatibility response. In contrast, CgHSFB1 did not bind to the promoter of S2-RNase, and there was specificity in the regulation of S-RNase.

Structural modifications and augmented affinity for bile salts in enzymatically denatured egg white

Protein binding to bile salts (BSs) reduces cholesterol levels, but the exact mechanism is unclear. In this study, we performed simulated gastrointestinal digestion of egg white protein hydrolysate (EWPHs) and included an unenzyme digestion group (CK) to investigate the changes in BSs binding capacity before and after digestion, as well as the relationship between egg white protein (EWP) structure and BSs binding capacity. In addition, peptidomics and molecular docking were used to clarify EWP's binding mechanism. We found that the BSs binding ability of EWPHs was slightly decreased after digestion, but significantly higher than that of the CK group and the digested CK group (D-CK). Particle size analysis and electrophoresis demonstrated that smaller particles and lower molecular weights exhibited enhanced binding capacity to BSs. Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results revealed that a disordered structure favored BS binding ability enhancement. Peptides FVLPM and GGGVW displayed hypocholesterolemic efficacy.

Stem lodging Resistance-1 controls stem strength by positively regulating the biosynthesis of cell wall components in Capsicum annuum L.

Lodging presents a significant challenge in cultivating high-yield crops with extensive above-ground biomass, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon in the Solanaceae family remain largely unexplored. In this study, we identified a gene, CaSLR1 (Capsicum annuum Stem Lodging Resistance 1), which encodes a MYELOBLASTOSIS (MYB) family transcription factor, from a lodging-affected C. annuum EMS mutant. The suppression of CaSLR1 expression in pepper led to notable stem lodging, reduced thickness of the secondary cell wall, and decreased stem strength. A similar phenotype was observed in tomato with the knockdown of SlMYB61, the orthologous gene to CaSLR1. Further investigations demonstrated that CaNAC6, a gene involved in secondary cell wall (SCW) formation, is co-expressed with CaSLR1 and acts as a positive regulator of its expression, as confirmed through yeast one-hybrid, dual-luciferase reporter assays, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays. These findings elucidate the CaNAC6-CaSLR1 module that contributes to lodging resistance, emphasizing the critical role of CaSLR1 in the lodging resistance regulatory network.

Non-Hermitian linear electro-optic effect in three-dimensional materials

Non-Hermitian linear electro-optic effect in three-dimensional materials

Light promotes pharmacological activities of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) via McHY5/McHY5-X1 and McPIF1-X1/McPIF3 antagonistic regulation in MAP30 transcription

MAP30, a ribosome-inactivating protein mainly isolated from the fruits and seeds of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia), has many pharmacological properties, such as anti-HIV and anti-tumor activities. Using qPCR analysis, we found that MAP30 transcription was higher in light, but drastically reduced in darkness. However, the molecular mechanism by which MAP30 is regulated remains unclear. Using yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) library screening, we found that McHY5, a homolog of AtHY5, bound to the MAP30 promoter. In addition, McHY5 and its homolog McHY5-X1 are identified as positive regulators binding to the MAP30 promoter by using Y1H, Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and Dual-Luciferase Reporter (DLR) assay. Due to MAP30 is not present in Arabidopsis we transformed pMAP30:MAP30 to Col and obtained transgenic line 18. Compared with pMAP30:MAP30/Col 18#, MAP30 transcription was largely reduced in pMAP30:MAP30 18#/Athy5–215 whether under light or dark conditions. Moreover, approximately 70 % of the tested bitter gourd germplasms showed consistent expression patterns of McHY5/McHY5-X1 and MAP30 under light conditions. In contrast to McHY5, McPIF1-X1 and McPIF3 acted as inactivators to inhibit MAP30 transcription. In this study, we found that MAP30 transcription was activated by McHY5 and McHY5-X1 in light, while McPIF1-X1 and McPIF3 inhibited MAP30 transcription mainly in darkness. Conclusively, we established the antagonistic module of McHY5/McHY5-X1 and McPIF1-X1/McPIF3 in MAP30 transcription regulation. This work expands our understanding of the regulatory mechanism of MAP30 and provides a valuable conceptual guidance for cultivating high pharmacological activity bitter gourd varieties with high MAP30 protein levels.

Design of novel chiral self-assembling peptides to explore the efficiency and mechanism of mRNA-FIPV vaccine delivery vehicles

The enhancement of conventional liposome and lipid nanoparticle (LNP) methodologies in the formulation and deployment of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines necessitates further refinement to augment both their effectiveness and biosafety profiles. Additionally, researching these innovative delivery carrier materials represents both a prominent focus and a significant challenge in the current scientific landscape. Here we designed new chiral self-assembling peptides as the delivery carrier for RNA vaccines to study the underlying mechanisms in the feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) model system. Firstly, we successfully transcribed mature enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) mRNA and feline infectious peritonitis virus nucleocapsid (FIPV N) mRNA in vitro from optimized vectors. Subsequently, we developed chiral self-assembling peptide-1 (CSP-1) and chiral self-assembling peptide-2 (CSP-2) peptides, taking into account the physical and chemical characteristics of nucleic acid molecules as well as the principles of self-assembling peptides, with the aim of improving the delivery efficiency of mRNA molecule complexes. We determined the optimal coating ratio between CSP and mRNA by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. We found that the peptides and mRNA complexes can protect the mRNA from RNase A enzyme and efficiently deliver mRNA into cells for target antigen proteins expression. Animal experiments confirmed that CSP-1/mRNA complex can effectively trigger immune response mechanisms involving IFN-γ and T cell activation. It can also stimulate CD4+ and CD8+ T cell proliferation and induce serum antibody titers up to 10,000 times higher. And no pathological changes were observed by immunohistochemistry in liver, spleen, and kidney, indicating that CSP-1 may be a safe and promising delivery system for mRNA vaccines. Methodologically, this research represents a novel endeavor in the utilization of chiral self-assembling peptides within the realm of mRNA vaccines. This approach not only introduces fresh prospects for employing such nanomaterials in various mRNA vaccines but also expands the potential for developing small molecules, proteins, and antibodies. Furthermore, it paves the way for new clinical applications of existing pharmaceuticals.

Effects of the pleiotropic regulator DasR on lincomycin production in Streptomyces lincolnensis

The lincoamide antibiotic lincomycin, derived from Streptomyces lincolnensis, is widely used for the treatment of infections caused by gram-positive bacteria. As a common global regulatory factor of GntR family, DasR usually exists as a regulatory factor that negatively regulates antibiotic synthesis in Streptomyces. However, the regulatory effect of DasR on lincomycin biosynthesis in S. lincolnensis has not been thoroughly investigated. The present study demonstrates that DasR functions as a positive regulator of lincomycin biosynthesis in S. lincolnensis, and its overexpression strain OdasR exhibits a remarkable 7.97-fold increase in lincomycin production compared to the wild-type strain. The effects of DasR overexpression could be attenuated by the addition of GlcNAc in the medium in S. lincolnensis. Combined with transcriptome sequencing and RT-qPCR results, it was found that most structural genes in GlcNAc metabolism and central carbon metabolism were up-regulated, but the lincomycin biosynthetic gene cluster (lmb) were down-regulated after dasR knock-out. However, DasR binding were detected with the DasR responsive elements (dre) of genes involved in GlcNAc metabolism pathway through electrophoretic mobility shift assay, while they were not observed in the lmb. These findings will provide novel insights for the genetic manipulation of S. lincolnensis to enhance lincomycin production.Key points• DasR is a positive regulator that promotes lincomycin synthesis and does not affect spore production• DasR promotes lincomycin production through indirect regulation• DasR correlates with nutrient perception in S. lincolnensis

PsSOC1 is involved in the gibberellin pathway to trigger cell proliferation and budburst during endodormancy release in tree peony.

Tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa) undergoes bud endodormancy, and gibberellin (GA) pathway plays a crucial role in dormancy regulation. Recently, a key DELLA protein PsRGL1 has been identified as a negative regulator of bud dormancy release. However, the mechanism of GA signal to break bud dormancy remains unknown. In this study, yeast two-hybrid screened PsSOC1 interacting with PsRGL1 through its MADS domain, and interaction was identified using pull-down and luciferase complementation imaging assays Transformation in tree peony and hybrid poplar confirmed that PsSOC1 facilitated bud dormancy release. Transcriptome analysis of PsSOC1-overexpressed buds indicated PsCYCD3.3 and PsEBB3 were its potential downstream targets combining with promoter survey, and they also accelerated bud dormancy release verified by genetic analysis. Yeast one-hybrid, electrophoretic mobility shifts assays, chromatin immunoprecipitation quantitative PCR, and dual luciferase assays confirmed that PsSOC1 could directly bind to the CArG motif of PsCYCD3.3 and PsEBB3 promoters via its MADS domain. PsRGL1-PsSOC1 interaction inhibited the DNA-binding activity of PsSOC1. Additionally, PsCYCD3.3 promoted bud dormancy release by rebooting cell proliferation. These findings elucidated a novel GA pathway, GA-PsRGL1-PsSOC1-PsCYCDs, which expanded our understanding of the GA pathway in bud dormancy release.

EuMYB308 regulates lignin accumulation by targeting EuLAC17 in Eucalyptus urophylla

It is known that laccase genes are involved in lignin synthesis. Eucalyptus is an important timber species; functional studies of specific laccase members and their upstream regulatory factors in Eucalyptus are incomplete, and the mechanism of lignin content variation in polyploid plants remains unclear. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the function of EuLAC17 by overexpressing it in tobaccos and the result showed the lignin content in transgenic tobacco increased significantly. Further, yeast one hybrid sequencing was used to identify a series of potential regulatory factors of EuLAC17, among which EuMYB308 showed the most significant correlation with EuLAC17. Yeast one hybrid, dual-luciferase reporter gene assay and electrophoretic mobility shift assay jointly verified that EuMYB308 could directly target the EuLAC17 promoter and repress its expression. In addition, overexpression of EuMYB308 resulted in significant reductions in plant growth, xylem cell lumen area, cell wall thickness and lignin content. Transcriptome sequencing showed that lignin biosynthesis genes including laccase genes were significantly differential expression in transgenic plants compared with wild-type plants. In triploid Eucalyptus urophylla, the expression of EuMYB308 was significantly upregulated, which may enhance the inhibition of EuLAC17 and thus reduce its expression level in triploid, which is one possible reason for the reduced lignin content in triploid E. urophylla. This study provides important insights into transcriptional regulation of lignin biosynthesis in Eucalyptus, and also contributes to revealing the genetic mechanism of lignin content variation in polyploid plants, which are of great significance for promoting the improvement of wood quality in forest trees and polyploid breeding.

Scaling the electrophoretic separation of rapeseed proteins and oleosomes

Gentle extraction of ingredients from raw materials is essential for high-quality food ingredients and can lead to reducing the use of water, chemicals, and energy in the extraction. For example, a simple aqueous extraction can yield a mixture of oil, in the form of a natural oil-in-water oleosome emulsion, and proteins. The oleosomes and proteins can then be further separated in a next step. We explored a continuous counter-current electrophoretic process that separates oleosomes and proteins based on their electrophoretic mobility by balancing an electric field with an opposing solvent flow. The separation is accomplished through the retention of the component with the higher electrophoretic mobility, the oleosomes, and the passage of the proteins, having lower mobility. The fluxes of oleosomes and proteins from rapeseed, after aqueous extraction, were analyzed as a function of the electric field (0–75 Vcm−1) and 1.2 ± 0.1 mLmin-1 solvent flow rate. At 50 Vcm−1, the permeation flux of proteins was 10-fold higher than that of oleosomes, as shown by the selectivity increasing to 9.84 from 1.90 at 25 Vcm−1. The difference in their flux promises to become more pronounced under an increasing treatment duration, but two main technical limitations, electrolysis-based pH alteration and membrane fouling, restrict further separation. We expect the listed challenges can be mitigated with the addition of electrode rinse chambers and the use of larger pore size membranes.

The Musashi-1–type 2 deiodinase pathway regulates astrocyte proliferation

Thyroid hormone (TH) is a critical regulator of cellular function and cell fate. The circulating TH level is relatively stable, while tissue TH action fluctuates according to cell type-specific mechanisms. Here, we focused on identifying mechanisms that regulate TH action through the type 2 deiodinase (D2) in glial cells. Dio2 mRNA has an unusually long 3'UTR where we identified multiple putative MSI1 binding sites for Musashi-1 (MSI1), a highly conserved RNA-binding cell cycle regulator. Binding to these sites was confirmed through electrophoretic mobility shift assay. In H4 glioma cells, shRNA-mediated MSI1 knockdown increased endogenous D2 activity, whereas MSI1 overexpression in HEK293T cells decreased D2 expression. This latter effect could be prevented by the deletion of a 3.6 kb region of the 3'UTR of Dio2 mRNA containing MSI1 binding sites. MSI1 immunoreactivity was observed in 2mouse Dio2-expressing cell types, that is, cortical astrocytes and hypothalamic tanycytes, establishing the anatomical basis for a potential invivo interaction of Dio2 mRNA and MSl1. Indeed, increased D2 expression was observed in the cortex of mice lacking MSI1 protein. Furthermore, MSI1 knockdown-induced D2 expression slowed down cell proliferation by 56% in primary cultures of mouse cortical astrocytes, establishing the functionality of the MSI1-D2-T3 pathway. In summary, Dio2 mRNA is a target of MSI1 and the MSI1-D2-T3 pathway is a novel regulatory mechanism of astrocyte proliferation with the potential to regulate the pathogenesis of human glioblastoma.

Cytoprotective Role of Autophagy in CDIP1 Expression-Induced Apoptosis in MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells.

Cell death-inducing p53-target protein 1 (CDIP1) is a proapoptotic protein that is normally expressed at low levels and is upregulated by genotoxic and endoplasmic reticulum stresses. CDIP1 has been reported to be localized to endosomes and to interact with several proteins, including B-cell receptor-associated protein 31 (BAP31) and apoptosis-linked gene 2 (ALG-2). However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying CDIP1 expression-induced apoptosis remain unclear. In this study, we first demonstrated that CDIP1 was upregulated after treatment with the anticancer drug adriamycin in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells but was degraded rapidly in the lysosomal pathway. We also demonstrated that treatment with the cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) inhibitor roscovitine led to an increase in the electrophoretic mobility of CDIP1. In addition, a phosphomimetic mutation at Ser-32 in CDIP1 resulted in an increase in CDIP1 expression-induced apoptosis. We also found that CDIP1 expression led to the induction of autophagy prior to apoptosis. Treatment of cells expressing CDIP1 with SAR405, an inhibitor of the class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase VPS34, caused a reduction in autophagy and promoted apoptosis. Therefore, autophagy is thought to be a defense mechanism against CDIP1 expression-induced apoptosis.

Transient electrophoresis of spherical colloidal particles in a multi-particle suspension

Transient electrophoresis of spherical colloidal particles in a multi-particle suspension

The MdHSC70-MdWRKY75 module mediates basal apple thermotolerance by regulating the expression of heat shock factor genes.

Heat stress severely restricts the growth and fruit development of apple (Malus domestica). Little is known about the involvement of WRKY proteins in the heat tolerance mechanism in apple. In this study, we found that the apple transcription factor (TF) MdWRKY75 responds to heat and positively regulates basal thermotolerance. Apple plants that overexpressed MdWRKY75 were more tolerant to heat stress while silencing MdWRKY75 caused the opposite phenotype. RNA-seq and reverse transcription quantitative PCR showed that heat shock factor genes (MdHsfs) could be the potential targets of MdWRKY75. Electrophoretic mobility shift, yeast one-hybrid, β-glucuronidase, and dual-luciferase assays showed that MdWRKY75 can bind to the promoters of MdHsf4, MdHsfB2a, and MdHsfA1d and activate their expression. Apple plants that overexpressed MdHsf4, MdHsfB2a, and MdHsfA1d exhibited heat tolerance and rescued the heat-sensitive phenotype of MdWRKY75-Ri3. In addition, apple heat shock cognate 70 (MdHSC70) interacts with MdWRKY75, as shown by yeast two-hybrid, split luciferase, bimolecular fluorescence complementation, and pull-down assays. MdHSC70 acts as a negative regulator of the heat stress response. Apple plants that overexpressed MdHSC70 were sensitive to heat, while virus-induced gene silencing of MdHSC70 enhanced heat tolerance. Additional research showed that MdHSC70 exhibits heat sensitivity by interacting with MdWRKY75 and inhibiting MdHsfs expression. In summary, we proposed a mechanism for the response of apple to heat that is mediated by the "MdHSC70/MdWRKY75-MdHsfs" molecular module, which enhances our understanding of apple thermotolerance regulated by WRKY TFs.

Thermally reliable compact electro-optic modulators with a low half-wave voltage

Recent advancements in thin-film lithium niobate have led to the development of high-performance integrated electro-optic modulators, which are crucial for modern optical communication systems. These modulators offer tighter mode confinement, a smaller physical footprint, and reduced modulating voltages. This study presents a Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) on a silicon nitride-loaded lithium niobate platform using a few-mode waveguide structure. By harnessing the exceptional thermo-optic and electro-optic effects of LiNbO3, we design and simulate this modulator employing multilayer structures with the BeamPROP solver. The modulator has a length of 3.94 mm, a Vπ value of 0.96 V, and a transition temperature (Tg) of 80 °C at 1.55 µm. This proposed modulator exhibits a crosstalk of approximately -42 dB, an extinction ratio of approximately 24 dB, and a maximum transmission of -28 dB for the first-order phase shift. These findings demonstrate the significant potential of this modulator for deployment in high-speed optical communication systems, where maintaining thermal stability and optimizing energy efficiency are paramount.

MaHsf24, a novel negative modulator, regulates cold tolerance in banana fruits by repressing the expression of HSPs and antioxidant enzyme genes.

Transcriptional regulation mechanisms underlying chilling injury (CI) development have been widely investigated in model plants and cold-sensitive fruits, such as banana (Musa acuminata). However, unlike the well-known NAC and WRKY transcription factors (TFs), the function and deciphering mechanism of heat shock factors (HSFs) involving in cold response are still fragmented. Here, we showed that hot water treatment (HWT) alleviated CI in harvested banana fruits accomplishing with reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and increased antioxidant enzyme activities. A cold-inducible but HWT-inhibited HSF, MaHsf24, was identified. Using DNA affinity purification sequencing (DAP-seq) combined with RNA-seq analyses, we found three heat shock protein (HSP) genes (MaHSP23.6, MaHSP70-1.1 and MaHSP70-1.2) and three antioxidant enzyme genes (MaAPX1, MaMDAR4 and MaGSTZ1) were the potential targets of MaHsf24. Subsequent electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with quantitative PCR (ChIP-qPCR) and dual-luciferase reporter (DLR) analyses demonstrated that MaHsf24 repressed the transcription of these six targets via directly binding to their promoters. Moreover, stably overexpressing MaHsf24 in tomatoes increased cold sensitivity by suppressing the expressions of HSPs and antioxidant enzyme genes, while HWT could recover cold tolerance, maintaining higher levels of HSPs and antioxidant enzyme genes, and activities of antioxidant enzymes. In contrast, transiently silencing MaHsf24 by virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) in banana peels conferred cold resistance with the upregulation of MaHSPs and antioxidant enzyme genes. Collectively, our findings support the negative role of MaHsf24 in cold tolerance, and unravel a novel regulatory network controlling bananas CI occurrence, concerning MaHsf24-exerted inhibition of MaHSPs and antioxidant enzyme genes.

Cu-doped KTN crystal with controllable, reversible, and fast photochromic properties: A superior electro-optical material for improving beam deflection performance

Improving the deflection performance of a beam deflector is urgently required to acquire optical signals for space laser communication and change the attitude and position of space targets and spacecraft. In this work, a Cu-doped potassium tantalate niobate (Cu-KTN) single crystal with fast photochromic and increased beam deflection properties is synthesized using the top-seeded solution growth method. When a Cu-KTN single crystal is irradiated with 405 nm light or ultraviolet (UV) light, the color changes from pale green to reddish brown. After light irradiation, the color gradually returns to yellowish green. Decolorization is accelerated under irradiation with green light or long-wavelength light, and the color changes to pale green. The origin of reversible photochromism reveals the fast valence change of Cu ions. In addition, ion doping improves the beam deflection angle of the secondary electro-optical effect of Cu-KTN (4.3 mrad, 1000 V) crystal compared with pure KTN (3.2 mrad, 1000 V). This study successfully synthesizes Cu-KTN single crystals with photochromic uses and establishes a new route for beam deflectors with significant deflection angles.

DEK219 and HSF17 Collaboratively Regulate the Kernel Length in Maize

The kernel length is a crucial determinant of maize (Zea mays L.) yield; however, only a limited number of genes regulating kernel length have been validated, thus leaving our understanding of the mechanisms governing kernel length incomplete. We previously identified a maize kernel mutant, defective kernel219 (dek219), which encodes the DICER-LIKE1 protein that is essential for miRNA biogenesis. The present study revealed that dek219 consistently exhibits a stable phenotype characterized by a reduced kernel length. Further analysis indicated that dek219 may reduce the kernel length by inhibiting the expression of genes involved in regulating kernel length. By employing miRNA-target gene prediction, expression analysis, and correlation analysis, we successfully identified nine transcription factors that potentially participate in the regulation of kernel length under the control of DEK219. Among them, the upregulation fold change of HEAT SHOCK TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR17 (HSF17) expression was the highest, and the difference was most significant. The results of transient expression analysis and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) indicated that HSF17 can inhibit the expression of DEFECTIVE ENDOSPERM18 (DE18), a gene involved in regulating kernel length. Furthermore, the hsf17 mutant exhibited a significant increase in kernel length, suggesting that HSF17 functions as a negative regulator of kernel length. The results of this study provide crucial evidence for further elucidating the molecular regulatory mechanism underlying maize kernel length and also offer valuable genetic resources for breeding high-yielding maize varieties.